Dark Clouds In The East
by XEldest
Summary: After Eragon and Saphira settle a new island to house the next generation of Dragon Riders they discover a threat to the east. Their new enemy will challenge the new order of Riders as well as threaten the peace of their homeland.


**Dark Clouds In The East**

**Prologue: Sunset**

Eragon sat on the roof of his massive tree house as he watched the last rays of sun dip below the ocean horizon. The sky was painted red and orange for a few last fleeting seconds before the darkness of night began to creep back into the world. A small cold breeze came down from the mountains signaling the approach of winter in the coming weeks. Saphira shuffled at its icy breath and opened a large sapphire eye to look at her rider.

_The icy wind signals a harsh winter I fear_, she stated rather annoyed to Eragon. He nodded in agreement saying, _I feel as much. It seems this new land has a rather unusual climate, compared to any in Alagaësia at least._ And indeed it did. Ever since he and Saphira had arrived with the elves they found the climate to be quite turbulent. The winters brought endless snow; the summers were capable of producing intense heat; the spring brought a storm every week; and the autumn was always cool, crisp, and brightly colored like a mural in Ellesméra.

They had found a massive island about three times the size of Vroengaurd nearly a week into their quest. The elves, Eragon, and Saphira had deemed that the island was worthy to house the next generation of Dragon Riders. They had named the island Lothorian. It contained a vast assortment of resources and around half of the island was heavily wooded. To the northeast a small mountain range scaled the island. The mountains were taller than those of the Spine and the forest was even more dense. Their peaks were ever covered in snow and the air at the top was very thin. Various streams flowed down from their peaks and a large river split the island from the base of the mountains to the southwest shore were the river emptied into the vastness of the ocean.

Eragon had decided to set up the new city named Glaumoria near the southwest end of the island. There he had found the forest to be less dense and similar to that of Ellesméra. The river provided a means of transport throughout the entire island and added to the overall elegance of the soon-to-be city. He and the elves had sung a rather large dock along the shoreline out of oak. It had taken months to complete, even with the help of the Eldurnari. On both sides of the dock there was a colossal marble statue of a dragon. There they stayed, ever vigilant on their watch for danger from the sea.

The young city was still taking form, but already Eragon could tell it put every great city of Alagaësia to shame. Even in its unfinished state, its buildings and landscape were unsurpassed by any structure ever built by men, dwarves, urgals, elves, or even the riders of old. None of the structures were overly elegant but instead seemed to strike their observers in simply the right way. They had been sung out of trees and marble stone by Eragon and the elves. The Eldurnari were solely responsible for the design of the grand city and it had been their energy that built it from the very earth.

At the center of Glaumoria was the Grand Hall of The Riders. The building was immense beyond comprehension in size. It was capable of holding ten dragons the of the size Shruikan had been and still had room for a large table with a good amount of free room. Eragon and Saphira had decided that eventually the Riders would be guided by a council of ten elder riders and their dragons, with the Lead Rider and their dragon being the head of the council.

To the east of the Great Hall was the Library of the Dragons. This single building was Eragon's favorite and he considered it his greatest accomplishment yet as Lead Rider. The building was the largest library ever to be built and it was close the same size as the Great Hall. To either side of the entrance there stood a stone rider with their sword pointed towards the ground as they looked straight ahead with an unwavering stare. Eragon had cast spells over them which would bring them to life to defend the Library in times of distress. Inside the Library the lobby contained a waterfall and a magnificent fountain of a dragon. Branching off were rooms which were being filled with scrolls on every aspect of the known world. Three of the elves were tasked with writing them with all the knowledge that the Eldurnari contained.

Their deepest secrets, however, they only shared with Eragon and some solely with Saphira. The secrets of the dragon race were written down by Eragon, as Saphira could not write, but after the Eldurnari would wipe every piece of the information from his mind. These secret scrolls Eragon stored in a large steel vault deep below the Library. The door was hidden and opened only with his true name.

Far off in the distance, built on the third highest peak in the mountains Eragon had built a watchtower out of stone. It was viewable from the city and was capable of housing a rider and their dragon. Eragon had named it The Shield of the East as he and the rest of his company had not explored the wild lands beyond its view. Eragon and Saphira knew a massive land mass laid shortly beyond the island to the east but they decided that it was best to leave it unexplored until the Riders had once again risen to power.

On the outskirts of the city, more towards the northeast were the forest become more dense, Eargon and the elves had sung 10 massive tree houses. Each house was intended to house the first elder riders and their dragons. Eragon had left them so that they could be rather customizable to the pairs' preference. Eragon had also specifically made a house to the left of his for Murtagh and Thorn, and he had personally sung Arya and Fírnen's house to the right.

The biggest house was for Eragon and Saphira, or any Lead Rider and dragon which would follow them. Eragon had designed it similar to Lead Rider tree house in Ellesméra but added his own touches to it. The house was not only bigger but it contained a large dinning room and a porch which gave him a view of his new city and the ocean beyond. Deep below the house he had secretly crafted a large chamber to house the Eldurnari. It was accessible from a secret entrance located under the sheets in Saphira's sleeping basin in their personal chambers. Like the entrance to the Library vault, the Eldurnari's chamber could only be accessed with Eragon's true name. However, the Eldurnari could deny anyone entrance, should they choose to.

As Eragon looked up at the young night sky he was stunned at what he saw. The blackness was filled with countless stars, much more than he ever remembered being able to see. Ever since the elves had transformed him it had never occurred to him that it allowed him to see stars deep in the void of night that human eyes could never detect.

_We have become truly powerful Saphira_, Eragon said with pride in himself. _That we have my little one_, she purred in response.

_Imagine, _Eragon said with awe, _one day this place will be filled with the next generation of Dragon Riders and we will lead them._ Eragon felt Saphira hum with happiness. Then she did something Eragon had never seen her do, she began to sing. It wasn't singing in a literal sense but more her pulsing musical thoughts and emotions from her mind. Magic seemed to seep into every living thing as the trees began to move and the animals joined his dragon with harmonious tones.

Eragon returned to his bed after the song had finally died down. He laid in his bed and fell asleep full of peace and excitement for the future...


End file.
